


How to Love an Alien

by xreyskywalkersolo



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-04-30
Packaged: 2018-06-05 10:30:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6701260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xreyskywalkersolo/pseuds/xreyskywalkersolo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of Astra/Alex tumblr prompts. 2: Myriad may no longer be a threat, but the effects linger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Taking an alien on a date was….to say the least, a bit intimidating. They’d gone out before, of course, but this time was special. It was their first ‘real’ date, the first one after the final battle with Non. 

“So where are you taking her?” Lucy pops a grape in her mouth, cocking an inquisitive eyebrow. “I guess the whole ‘drinks and dancing’ thing isn’t really Astra’s style?”

“I thought about it,” Alex admits, picking at her burger, “but this is our first proper date, and I wanted it to be special, y’know?”

“So you have no idea.”

Alex exhales heavily. “None. I haven’t really dated since college…”

“I saw in the paper that the science museum has a fossil exhibit,” Vasquez offers through a mouthful of sandwich. “She’s a science geek like you, right?”

“Yeah, but I’m not sure geology is really her thing.” Alex taps her fingers on the table. “Besides, I never found it that interesting myself.”

“You’ll figure it out. At least I sure hope so, because you and Astra make a really hot couple.” Lucy grins. “Can I have her if she decides to dump you?”

“ _Agent Danvers, I will not stand for you starting a food fight_!” Hank bellows from across the room as Alex makes to chuck her French fries at Lucy. Vasquez snorts into her salad, and Alex vows to make them both pay the next time Hank holds a Gauntlet run.

-x-

 _Okay, Danvers, play it cool_. Alex checks her watch for the umpteenth time even though she knows it’s only been like five seconds since the last time. She decided to dress a bit nicer for this date, so instead of her normal DEO cargo pants, she’s wearing dark jeans and boots and a leather jacket. Astra  _really_ likes that jacket. (Alex thought about wearing her leather pants too but then realized the probability of them leaving the house was less than zero.) She exhales and runs her hands through her hair.

It’s just Astra. They’ve gone out before. So why is she so nervous?

“Hello, brave one.”

Alex swears and spins around, hand flying to her hip even though her gun isn’t there. “ _Fucking_ —Astra, use the door like a normal person,” she barks. Astra is grinning smugly at her from her position by the window, and Alex fights the urge to wipe the expression from her face.

“I am not a normal person.” She saunters closer, eyeing Alex appreciatively, and Alex has to fight the weakening sensation in her knees. “Hello,” Astra murmurs, winding her fingers in Alex’s belt loops and gently tugging her close.

“Hi,” Alex breathes, fighting off a blush as she looks up into gentle grey eyes. Even after all this time, it’s still such a treat to see Astra so relaxed and open, not wearing even a trace of the General’s mask. “You look nice.” 

“Kara helped me choose what to wear.” Astra looks down self-consciously, tugging lightly at the hem of her white blouse. “I am still unfamiliar with human clothing.”

“Well, we can’t all wear catsuits.” Alex smirks at the wry amusement on Astra’s face before leaning up and pressing their lips together. Astra makes a noise that Alex would swear is an actual purr as she lifts her hands to cradle Alex’s jaw, and it’s more than a bit thrilling to think of the restrained power in those hands, like a tornado wrapped in fine silk.

“Am I to know where you’ve decided to take us?” Astra murmurs once the kiss ends, leaning her forehead against Alex’s and affectionately nuzzling her human’s nose. Alex can’t hold back a grin; Astra swears she’s not ‘touchy-feely’, but with so much evidence to the contrary, the denial only becomes more endearing. 

“It’s a surprise. C’mon.” She pulls away and laces Astra’s fingers into her own. “You’ll love it, though, trust me.”

“With my life,” Astra says with the utmost sincerity, and the fact that she’s already done so makes Alex love her all the more.

-x-

“Kara said you used to tell her stories about the stars,” Alex says softly, watching Astra as she takes in the display before her. “I didn’t know how much you knew about our solar system, and my dad taught me everything he knew when I was a kid, so….”

Astra doesn’t say a word, staring up at the wide expanse of stars overhead. The expression on her face is somewhere between grief and joy, and Alex starts to wonder if this was a good idea. “We can go back to the city—we don’t have to stay here on the mountain. I just….I thought—”

“No.” Astra finds her hand, twines their fingers and holds on tight. “No, I…..I wish to stay.” She takes a breath. “Tell me of your stars, Alexandra.”

Alex lifts their joined hands to her lips, pressing a soft kiss to Astra’s knuckles before lying back on the blanket. Astra lays down with her, shifting closer until her hip presses against Alex’s and their thighs are touching. Alex points to a particularly bright star off to their right. “That’s Venus, over there. Venus is the closest planet to the Earth, although instead of oxygen and nitrogen, the atmosphere is mostly carbon dioxide. It’s covered in sulfur clouds….”


	2. Chapter 2

_The sword is heavy in her hands. She doesn’t remember it being so heavy. Alex looks up into her sister’s desperate, pleading blue eyes—“Alex, please!” she cries, and Alex drops the blade._

_Or she tries to, but her hands won’t move. Her body won’t listen to her at all. She takes a step forward, and then another, fighting it with all the strength she has, but it doesn’t matter. Non’s voice is in her head, his low, rasping snarl—_ Kill her, kill the daughter of Zor-El _—Alex stares desperately at Kara as she lifts the sword, she’s screaming, screaming, but Myriad has her in its grip and she’s helpless_.  _“Please,” Kara begs again, and there are tears pouring down her cheeks. She doesn’t move. “I love you, Alex….”_  

_There’s almost no resistance as Alex lunges, stabbing upwards in one swift motion. The blade disappears into Kara’s abdomen, sheathing itself easily in bone and skin and muscle. As soon as the weapon makes contact, Alex is herself again, but it’s too late, too late. She lets out a horrified cry, staring at the glowing green sword, but when she lifts her eyes to Kara’s, it’s not her little sister staring back at her._

_“Alexandra…..”_

_“No,” Alex whimpers, sinking to her knees. Astra’s eyes are wide with shock and horror, and there’s blood trickling from her mouth as she stares down at the small section of the blade that’s not buried in her chest._

“Alexandra.”

_“I’m—I’m so—” Alex reaches out, numb, but she can do nothing except watch as Astra collapses to the ground. Blood pours onto the pavement beneath her, spreading out in a pool of crimson and soaking into Astra’s long hair. “No—Astra, please—please, I—I didn’t—”_

_Grey eyes stare up at her in anger, in betrayal, before they gloss over, and Alex screams, something within her shattering. “NO!!!”_  
  
“ALEXANDRA!”

Alex’s eyes snap open, and she sucks in a long, strangled gasp. Iron bands clench around her lungs, squeezing, squeezing,  _oh god I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t—_

Strong, warm arms scoop her up, holding her tightly. Alex huddles into the protective embrace, shaking so violently her teeth chatter. She clenches her eyes shut, trying to just focus on breathing, but the images from the nightmare still burn behind her closed lids, and she can’t help letting out a cry.  _Make it stop make it stop make it stop….._

Something penetrates the fog, the faintest of noises drawing Alex’s attention outwards instead of toward the churning darkness and fear. She follows the sound like a child might chase a butterfly, listening as it grows clearer and clearer. 

**Thump. Th-thump. Th-thump. Th-thump.**

A heartbeat, strong and sure, a beacon in otherwise impenetrable darkness. Alex lets the sound surround her, lets it cocoon her and protect her. She remembers what her father told Kara when she was dealing with sensory overload—“ _Pick something,_ ” he’d said,  _“any noise; a voice, the sound of an air conditioner, the tap of feet on the floor, and let it be your anchor”_ —and focuses intently on the steady rhythm. Slowly, her world narrows until it’s just that sound, until the bands around her lungs are gone and her violent trembling has subsided into small shivers. Only then does Alex open her eyes.

“Astra?” she whispers, tears prickling her eyes.

“I’m here.” The arms around her tighten, the hand cradling her head never ceasing its soft stroking. Alex sobs in relief and turns, wrapping her arms tightly around Astra’s waist. She keeps her ear pressed snugly against Astra’s heart, listening to the steadying sound and using it to remind herself that the nightmare was just that; a terror, a dream, not real. Astra hums soothingly, the sound vibrating low in her chest, and Alex relaxes as it reaches her, muscles going slack. 

“Was it that nightmare again?” Astra murmurs after what could be seconds or hours. Her voice is soft, as if she thinks speaking too loud might break Alex. (Alex thinks she might be right.) Alex just nods, unable to elaborate any further. She tugs Astra closer, somehow, and the woman shifts to accommodate her, pressing a tender kiss to her hair. “I’m here, my brave one. I am alive and well, as is Kara. You have nothing to fear.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex whimpers, eyes burning with tears. “I’m so sorry…I hurt you; I nearly killed you….” 

“Look at me, Alexandra.” Alex feels a jolt of panic as Astra pulls away from her, but then the older woman’s hands (hands that can break steel, can crush a mountain) are cupping her face with such incredible tenderness it nearly makes her cry. “That was so long ago, and it was not your fault. You were a soldier protecting your commanding officer.” In the silver moonlight, Astra’s eyes are soft. “I have never held you accountable for that. And nor should you.” 

“Kara—” Her throat closes. “I hurt her. I hurt her, Astra, I hurt my baby sister—” Her heart is beginning to race again, and she stifles a choked sob, fingers digging into Astra’s back hard enough to bruise on a human. “It’s all my fault—”

“You could not have withstood Myriad. No human could, until someone saved them.” Astra leans her forehead on Alex’s, thumbs gently stroking across the human’s tear-splashed cheeks. “Kara loves you so, Alexandra. She could no more hate you than deny her heritage. You know this.”

“I’m supposed to protect her. I’m supposed to keep her safe.”

“Kara is a woman grown. She is no longer the child who came to Earth; she is a hero, and more than that, she loves you. She does not require your protection, Alexandra.” Astra smiles softly. “All she requires is your love. And that is something I know you will always give.”

“Will you sing to me?” Alex whispers after another long silence. “I—I don’t want to fall asleep again….”

Astra begins to sing, a soft, lilting melody that feels like being rocked on the waves of a distant sea. Alex closes her eyes and lets it wash over her, listening to the words in a language no other human speaks. “ _Zhao i vo rrip_ ,” she mumbles, leaning her head on Astra’s chest and closing her eyes. The Kryptonian’s heartbeat thumps under her ear, strong and sure, and Alex slowly drifts back to sleep.

This time, she dreams of flying.


End file.
